LEUKEMIA IS A TYPE OF CANCER THAT AFFECTS THE BLOOD OR BONE MARROW. 1 ONE TYPE IS PHILADELPHIA CHROMOSOME-POSITIVE CHRONIC MYELOID (MY’-uh-loyd) LEUKEMIA.

SOME PATIENTS WITH C-M-L MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING A TREATMENT THAT’S RIGHT FOR THEM.

ALMOST 15% OF C-M-L PATIENTS DISCONTINUE THEIR TREATMENT IN THE FIRST YEAR DUE TO SIDE EFFECTS, SO HAVING DIFFERENT OPTIONS IS CRITICAL.3-7

HERE TO SHARE HER OWN EXPERIENCE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH PHILADELPHIA CHROMOSOME-POSITIVE C-M-L IN CHRONIC PHASE AND HOW SHE FOUND A TREATMENT THAT WORKED FOR HER, IS TEACHER AND C-M-L PATIENT, JEN. AND HERE TO TALK ABOUT TREATING ADULTS WITH C-M-L, IS DR. JAMES DUGAN (DOO’-guhn.)

HCP Bio: Dr. James Dugan

Dr. James Dugan is a hematology/oncology specialist, and the physician lead for the transplant and cellular therapy department for Novant Health Cancer Institute in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Dr. Dugan was drawn to the field of oncology by the opportunity to improve a person’s life during a difficult time. He believes that to properly treat the whole person and not just the disease, physicians need to engage in active conversations with the patient throughout the treatment process. Dr. Dugan approaches medicine and oncology as a partnership between the physician and the patient.

Dr. Dugan is a member of the American Society of Hematology, as well as the American Society for Transplant and Cellular therapy. His membership in these organizations keeps him up-to-date on the latest research and treatment options in the field.

When he is not seeing patients, Dr. Dugan enjoys time with his wife and three daughters. He is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys skiing, scuba diving, kite surfing, and long-distance running. He is passionate about the shared human experience and loves meeting new people and exploring new ideas and places.

Patient Bio: Jen

In 2014, Jen was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase (CP).
Prior to her diagnosis, Jen devoted her career to serving others. After dedicating 20 years to running inner-city youth programs, Jen became a social worker, supporting women as they rebuilt their lives after incarceration or experiencing domestic violence.
Jen was actively working as a social worker when she was diagnosed with CML. Unfortunately, her diagnosis required her to step away from her career for a period of time. Working closely with her doctor, she navigated the treatment landscape to find a treatment option that worked for her.
Today, she is a teacher in her rural community, educating K-8 students in a one-room schoolhouse. She is also passionate about sharing her journey and advocating for other adults with CML, helping them access the information and support they need to have meaningful conversations with their doctors and navigate their own patient journeys.

LearnCML.com

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A diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic (LIM-foh-SIH-tik) leukemia (C-L-L) can be overwhelming, but advances in cancer research, including targeted therapies, have paved the way for more precise treatments. C-L-L is one of the most common blood cancers in adults, and because its progression varies from person to person, choosing a tailored treatment plan is crucial.

brukinsa.com

Today, we’re joined by Lynne who will share her personal journey with C-L-L, and Dr. Nakhle Saba [Knack-Leigh Sah-bah], director of lymphoid malignancy and CAR T-cell (Car-tee cell )therapy at Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, who will provide insight into the latest treatment approaches and why informed decision-making is so essential for those facing this disease.

BIO’s

Dr. Saba

Dr. Saba earned his medical degree from the Lebanese University in Beirut 2005. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN and Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, and his fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at Tulane University. After fellowship completion in 2011, Dr. Saba joined the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH) for an additional fellowship in lymphoid malignancies. His research at the NIH was focused on tumor biology and developing new therapeutic approaches for leukemia and lymphoma. He returned to Tulane in 2014 as Assistant Professor of Medicine, promoted to Associate Professor in 2018, then to Professor in 2024 following a successful career in research, teaching, and treating blood cancers. Dr. Saba’s research focuses on lymphoid malignancies and cell therapy, to identify therapeutic targets and novel drugs for these diseases.

Dr. Saba’s leadership skills are evident by the roles he played at Tulane as chair of the “immune effector cell therapy – IECT”, co-chair of Sarah-Cannon Lymphoma Committee, and President of Louisiana Oncology Society (LOS). Under his direction as president, the LOS passed four bills that were signed into law in Louisiana and are expected to positively impact cancer care in our state. Those bills include the Bone Marrow Donation, Fertility Preservation For Cancer Patients, Right To Prompt Coverage, and Expansion Of Biomarker Testing.

Dr. Saba authored and/or co-authored more than 120 published manuscripts and research abstracts, he presented at regional, national, and international meetings as a researcher and invited speaker. His articles appear in journals like Blood, Leukemia, Cancer Research, The Lancet Haematology, Haematologica, Science Advances, Bone Marrow Transplant and others. Click to access  Dr. Saba’s Bibliography on PubMed  or Dr. Saba’s Articles, Abstracts, and Citations

Dr. Saba was recruited at the Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute as Professor of Medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center, and Director of Lymphoma, CLL, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T. He will be diligently working to expand the lymphoma and CLL research portfolio and bring cutting edge therapies to the region such as CAR-T, the next generation CARs, and be the first to bring the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for solid tumors to Louisiana.

About Lynne

I am a very active, “young” senior citizen whose priorities are my grown children and their partners, my 3-year-old grandson, 20-month-old granddaughter, and my longtime partner. I have a huge passion for all animals, and love doing Pilates, aerobics, Zumba Gold, and weight training. I became a pescetarian about 10 years ago. I was diagnosed with a very specific high-risk subtype of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) in April 2019, three weeks after the tragic passing of my third child, my 26-year-old daughter. I was so devastated by her death, and now facing an unknown diagnosis, I turned to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) for support. Fast-forwarding to now, I have been on the “Light The Night” Executive Leadership Committee for the Westchester/Fairfield LLS for four years, and my team “Lynne’s Hope” has raised almost $200,000 for the cause, for which I am extremely proud. I am blessed to be under the care of a world-renowned CLL specialist. I want cancer survivors to know there is hope for us to live a long life because of all the constant new medical treatments that are being discovered every day. I have been in treatment for two years for CLL and am doing great! My mantra is, “I will not let Leukemia define me; I will define it!”

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Celebrated every November, National Family Caregivers Month is a time to recognize and honor caregivers across the US. In a study by the National Alliance for Caregiving, about 50% of 111 cancer caregivers reported feeling “highly stressed” due to the intense and demanding nature of caregiving, and there is growing evidence this could potentially affect the mental health of the patients as well.1,2

In particular, the mental health of patients with blood cancer, including those living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and their caregivers, can be impacted due to the physical, emotional and social effects of the disease.3,4

CLL is the most common leukemia in adults.5 It’s a type of cancer that starts in cells that become certain white blood cells (called lymphocytes) in the bone marrow. 5 The cancer (leukemia) cells start in the bone marrow but then go into the blood.5

As with other illnesses, COVID-19 has exacerbated the mental health impact of blood cancer on patients, as well as placing an added strain on caregivers. In a recent survey of 100 patients with blood cancer, 96% of patients reported their blood cancer has impacted their mental health since the start of the pandemic in 2020, and 72% of patients said they rely most on their family members to provide them with emotional support for their blood cancer.

Hematologist and oncologist Dr. Ken Miller of Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, who will discuss the impact of blood cancer, including CLL, on the mental and emotional health of both patients and caregivers, and share resources to help meet this important need.

http://understandbloodcancer.com/

This program is made possible by AstraZeneca.

Dr. Ken Miller is a hematologist and medical oncologist at the Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Miller has served as the Director of Outpatient Oncology and was a member of the Thoracic Oncology Group at the University of Maryland. He also previously served as the Director of the Yale Cancer Center’s survivorship clinic and the Director of the LiveStrong Survivorship Center of Excellence at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He has authored five books, including: Choices in Breast Cancer, Medical and Psychosocial Care of the Cancer Survivor, Excellent Care of Cancer Survivors, Global Cancer Care, and “The Breast Cancer Book”. Dr. Miller’s wife Joan is a two-time cancer survivor and together they have lectured nationally and internationally on the role of empathy in medicine. They have three children and four grandchildren.

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